Obituary- Obituary (Reissue)

By Clint Anderson

Relapse Records

Originally released in March of last year, Obituary’s 10th studio album is their strongest since reforming in 2005, which was after almost a decade break from touring and writing music. Brothers John and Donald Tardy, along with Trevor Peres — all founding members — have been pulverizing the heads of bangers for nearly 30 years with their ruthless take on death metal. The addition of bassist Terry Butler (Death, Six Feet Under) to the mix after the passing of longtime bass player Frank Watkins, is a perfect fit for a band who had to say goodbye to one of its pillars. The opening track, “Brave” is a perfect into, blasting by as it sets you up for the rest of the album. By the fourth cut, “End It Now,” one that will surely be considered definitive, clearly this is a classic recording from Florida’s reigning kings of aggressive shredding. When it hits you this hard in the gut, you just gotta throw up a little and wait for the next punch.